May 7th – 11th is Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 7th – 11th is Teacher Appreciation Week, with National Teacher Day taking place on Tuesday, May 8th. Each year, we get this opportunity to invite everyone in Deer Park to help us recognize and say “thank you” to the dedicated teachers in our schools who work to educate and inspire. We are fortunate to have a fantastic team of highly-trained and qualified professionals who work collaboratively and individually to improve their practice, creating amazing educational environments for kids. In what continues to be an incredibly challenging period for schools (changing standards, increasing demands, new technologies, added accountability, growing concerns about safety and security in our schools….and much, much more), teachers continue to rise to the challenge, improving their craft using research-based methods for increasing academic performance while also finding creative ways to engage and inspire kids.

With all that said, let’s not forget the simple fact that teachers have incredible power as mentors in the lives of our kids. Mentors serve as models for us, but in this case, I’m not talking about teachers as models of good teaching or even models of learning. The true power of teaching is in the capacity to awaken something within others, and it’s something we reclaim years later by recalling the impact our teachers had on our formative years. Just about everyone can think back to a teacher, or perhaps a number of teachers, that inspired them, providing guidance and igniting a desire to learn and achieve. We can all identify that teacher, the special person we connected with, who helped us discover new things, or perhaps just helped us believe in ourselves.

We often forget how important and meaningful it can be to say thanks; annually, this week provides an opportunity to make sure our teachers know how much we appreciate their work and dedication. Please take a moment to reach out and say thanks to a teacher that’s made a difference in the life of your child. On behalf of Deer Park’s Board of Directors and with deep personal conviction, I would like to thank and commend teachers in our schools for their efforts and their commitment to our students. Kids in Deer Park will continue to thrive and will be equipped for success because of the way our teachers invest in their lives. Our teachers make a difference each and every day and it’s a pleasure and an honor to work on their team!